turkey

Okay, it is still winter and pretty cold but spring looms with daylight savings time beginning plus I am a tiny bit weary of posting soups. I do enjoy other sorts of food you know! There is this recipe I’ve been making for years. The other day I was chowing down my lunch and someone said, “What is that lovely roasty smell?” and I was able to say with a smile that it was my turkey meatballs with lemon gravy.

They are not fancy; the recipe, which I tore out of a woman’s magazine a decade ago, said they are supposed to replace regular meatballs as healthier but I just like them for their homey taste and the excellent sauce! You can also make them with ground chicken; very good as well. I never seem to have enough sauce so you could make even more of that and be happy with the amount. I used to have them over noodles all the time but now that I am gf I occasionally use white or brown rice, both work very well with this sauce. I am guessing quinoa would be nice as well.

It is the lemon that makes them taste so good but I also like the carrot and scallions in the sauce. Home flavors and pretty healthy, this is a satisfying meal with a starch and a veggie added on. And you can put it together in 30 minutes. Perfect for a week night supper.

Lemon Sauced Turkey Meatballs

1 lb ground turkey

1 medium onion, minced

1 large egg

¼-1/3 cup gf bread or cracker crumbs

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce.

½-3/4 tsp. lemon zest

½ tsp sea salt and same of pepper

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup plain low fat or full fat yogurt

2 tbsp. gf flour of your choice

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 carrot grated fine

2 scallions chopped into small rounds

1/3 cup celery leaves chopped fine, optional

Directions:

Mix the meatballs up in a large mixing bowl; dump in the ground turkey, add the onion, crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, lemon zest, sea salt, pepper to taste and egg. Mix until fairly well distributed. Form into 12-16 meatballs.

Heat the oil in a wide Teflon or cast iron pan. Add the meatballs. Brown them on all sides, turning carefully with a spatula and a fork. When browned add the broth and cover. Cook 12-15 minutes, add up to ½ cup more broth if needed; there should be at least ½ cup left when they are cooked. Add the flour to the yogurt, stir and add to the pan. Add the lemon juice and stir in the carrot, celery if using it, and the white parts of the scallions. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add the rest of the scallions and stir. If it seems too thick add some more chicken broth. I like this new concentrate I found; by Kitchen Accomplice, makes 28 cups, it is a small squeeze bottle of liquid. Very handy and GF. Perfect when you need less than 15 ounces of broth.

Serve the meatballs and sauce over rice or noodles. I have been experimenting lately and served a topping of pickled red onions; really nice zingy addition…up to you. For that I cut up part of a red onion and top with cider vinegar to cover, let stand at least 30 minutes. Will keep overnight in fridge. It is a fun topper on salads too.

The turkey is coming, juicy and succulent. And it is logically followed by a mountain of leftover meat. Once you have enjoyed a hot gravy covered sandwich the big question is what to make out of the rest of the bird. The other day I made oven roasted chicken pieces and found myself with one last leftover piece. I decided to make a salad out of it. What I created was so tasty I instantly knew what I was going to make using some of my turkey, a fruity crunchy salad that is a meal in a bowl. It is a riff on that classic chicken salad with grapes which was popular for many years; I updated it with a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds and slices of creamy avocado. Both add color and great flavor.

If you don’t like avocado; just leave it out although I think you should try it at least once: avocado is really good for you and you may suddenly decide you like its smooth contrast to the rest of the salad. I much prefer the Hass avocado; smaller with pebbly skin. Pick one with a slight give, not hard as a rock nor mushy or about to cave in.

The pomegranate seeds are mostly there for the color burst they give and there is some crunch and flavor I enjoy too. To get at the seeds I usually cut carefully into the skin and peel it back in two places to make a wedge of exposed interior. Then i break it open and pick out the seeds. I only pick out what I am going to use and put the rest of the pomegranate in a plastic bag and store it in the fridge. There are U-tube videos on how to easily get at the seeds if you want to check them out; might be easier. When choosing a pomegranate pick one that feels heavy for its size, the skin should not be dull or damaged, no soft spots and the color is a vibrant red. Fall is the season for pomegranates; don’t look for them in June. I have and they are very hard to find after winter ends.

But do leave in the grapes and nuts and the celery. They are essential to the flavor and crunch of it. I used Light Hellman’s mayo, less calories and I like its texture and flavor.

This is a sort of approximate recipe; everyone has their own idea on how much mayo, how many grapes, and how much mustard. I am giving a middle ground amount in a recipe for one dinner sized salad. Adjust to your tastes and feel free to double it or triple.

Roasted Chicken/Turkey Salad

Ingredients:

Roasted turkey/chicken; whatever part you like

Dijon mustard

Light mayonnaise

Red wine vinegar

Celery

Pomegranate seeds

Lettuce

Avocado

Directions: Cut up roasted turkey or chicken to make ½ to 2/3 cup of small pieces, half inch to inch sized. Put them in a mixing bowl. Add ½ a tsp of Dijon or whole grain mustard, 2-3 tbsp. good quality mayonnaise, ½ to 1 tsp red wine vinegar, one stalk celery cut into small slices, a dozen grapes cut in half, a ¼ cup of pomegranate seeds, 2 tsp. of walnut chunks. Stir it to blend and meld it. Tear up 3-5 leaves of romaine or loose leaf lettuce and lay in your shallow big salad bowl. Top with the chicken/turkey salad and then a few thin slices of avocado and the sprinkle of ruby pomegranate seeds.

I used some red leaf romaine I got at Valley Farm Markets, great crunch and color. Use whatever kind of lettuce you like although iceberg would be my dead last choice; less flavor and nutrition in iceberg.

This makes a great lunch full of protein and healthy veggies. It is simple to make, elegant looking and very yummy. Now you have one more turkey option for all those leftovers next week! Actually this salad is great anytime, not just after the Thanksgiving feast. Enjoy.